Alcohol-Linked Cancer Deaths Soared Since 1990: Research

A nightly drink isn't looking as harmless as it sounds, according to new cancer data. A study published in the Lancet finds alcohol-related cancer deaths in the US more than doubled between 1990 and 2023, rising from about 11,000 to more than 23,000 a year, the Guardian reports. Researchers using Global Burden of Disease data linked drinking to higher death risk from breast, prostate, colorectal, stomach, pancreatic, liver, and head and neck cancers, with older men hit hardest. Even modest intake—roughly one standard drink a day—was associated with elevated cancer risk.

The findings support the International Agency for Research on Cancer's classification of alcohol as a top-tier carcinogen, alongside tobacco and asbestos. The National Cancer Institute estimates alcohol was tied to about 5% of US cancer cases and 4% of cancer deaths in 2019, prompting renewed calls for warning labels on alcohol. "The most surprising finding was the breadth of alcohol's potential impact across cancer types," said Dr. Chinmay Jani, corresponding study author, said in a statement, per USA Today. The study's findings can be found here.